Bristol, Tenn., Firefighter Is New Damascus, Va., Police Chief

By Debra McCown
Reporter / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: August 14, 2008

DAMASCUS, Va. – The Damascus Town Council hired a police chief and a clerk after a lengthy closed-session meeting on Wednesday.

In a 4-2 vote they selected Bristol, Tenn., firefighter Bill Nunley for police chief; they decided by consensus in closed session to hire Glade Spring Town Clerk Gayle Karriker as clerk in Damascus.

Nunley, a former Washington County, Va., sheriff’s deputy who also heads a private investigation firm, said he took the job for the challenge in a town that’s notorious for its politics and frequent firing of police chiefs.

“The department will see more discipline than they have seen in the past, and they also will see more training and higher expectations,” Nunley said. “Our number one goal department-wise is going to be to earn the respect of the community back.”

The town’s police department has suffered in its reputation, especially since former Chief Tony Richardson was charged with drug distribution while serving as chief last year.

Richardson is one of four police chiefs the town has fired in four years; the other three were Richard White; Mike Rutherford, who was a former acting chief at the time of his firing; and John Rouse, who was fired last month.

Two chiefs have also resigned while serving in the same time period – Chief Blake Eades in 2006 and Acting Chief Steven McVey this week.

“It’s not going to change overnight,” said Nunley of the town’s divided political climate. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Town Councilman Johnny Blevins, who voted to fire Rouse last month and to hire Nunley on Wednesday, said the new chief is “the best possible peacekeeper to smooth things over.”

Nunley said he believes his knowledge of the people and the community made a difference in his hiring over other candidates; Blevins said it also makes a difference that he has already served in Virginia while the other top candidate was a Tennessee officer.

Nunley said with him as chief, the town will see more foot and bicycle patrols and will not see the firing of any more of the town’s police officers; he plans to hire one more for a total of five. He also brings a drug dog with him to the department.

He said he has no illusions about the politics here and is not looking to use Damascus as a “stepping stone” to another job.

“I have something else to fall back on,” he said. “That’s the only reason I’m willing to take the job.”

In Wednesday’s called meeting, the balance on the council shifted with one vote; Councilman Tom Hayes, who voted with Mitchell Greer, Kenneth Upchurch and Mayor Creed Jones to fire Rouse, voted against that group to hire Nunley.

Hayes could not be reached for comment Wednesday night, but it was clear after the meeting that there were some hard feelings on the council.

“They made a mistake,” Jones said after the meeting, “and that’s all I have to say.”

For the position of clerk, there was no vote taken in open session; however, Jones and Blevins both confirmed afterward that the consensus – after another candidate declined the job – was to offer it to Karriker.

Blevins said the council did not want to make the announcement publicly until she had been notified.

“I’ve already accepted, and I’ve already written my resignation for Glade,” Karriker said in a telephone interview late Wednesday.

She said the Damascus clerk position is full-time with benefits, while the same position in Glade is part-time without benefits.

She will replace Tonya Triplett, who left the clerk position to work for the Town of Abingdon in its tourism department.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fill her shoes ... but I will try to do the best I can,” Karriker said. “I’m just excited and look forward to meeting all these people.”

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